New Mexico QB Devon Dampier named AP National Player of the Week

Four touchdowns — including the game-winner — with no turnovers and 366 yards of total offense was good enough for a historic win.

And as Devon Dampier’s finding out, more than a few awards.

New Mexico’s sophomore quarterback was named the Associated Press National Player of the Week on Monday after he led the Lobos to a 38-35 win over No. 19 Washington State on Saturday at University Stadium. With 192 rushing yards, 174 passing yards and four total touchdowns, Dampier also earned Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors and was named a Manning Award Star of the Week and to the Davey O’Brien Award’s weekly “Great 8” list.

Fans can vote for Dampier’s selection as the Manning Award Star of the Week on the Allstate Sugar Bowl website.

“It’s deserved,” head coach Bronco Mendenhall said during a press conference Monday. “I don’t think that there’s a player in college football doing more for his team than (what) Devon Dampier is doing for the University of New Mexico. And I don’t care what level, what team, etc. He’s remarkable.”

Against the Cougars, Dampier rushed for 100-plus yards for the third-straight game and the fifth time all season. He now has 1,065 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on the season in addition to 2,592 passing yards (57.7 completion percentage) with 12 touchdowns through the air and interceptions each.

With 3,657 total yards, Dampier now has the most offensive yards ever accumulated by a Lobo in a single season, and the Lobos still have one game to play — Nov. 30 at Hawaii. Dampier eclipsed former UNM quarterback Stoney Case (who amassed 3,649 total yard) during the Washington State game.

Dampier, a Saguaro (Arizona) High School graduate, is the first Lobo QB to ever rush for 1,000-plus yards in a season, and is within striking distance to tie or break DonTrell Moore’s program record of 19 rushing TDs in a single season.

“He’s playing really well,” Mendenhall added, “and (I’m) glad that the rest of the world is now understanding that. It’s great for him, great for our program and it’s accurate. Any of those awards that he’s up for, yeah, if doesn’t get them, that’s probably an upset as far as I’m concerned.”

Into the (third) bye

Earlier in the year, Mendenhall admitted that before the season he found himself “twisting” the idea of three bye weeks “more negative than positive.” At the point he said that, UNM had just picked up its first win with a 50-40 shootout at New Mexico State and was heading into its second bye week. Mendenhall said he felt it came at the perfect time due to the amount of injuries the Lobos were dealing with.

But now — with plenty of momentum after two straight wins — would he prefer if UNM (5-6, 3-3) was playing a game this week instead taking another bye week?

“As our first year has played out, and as I’ve seen the byes come when they come, I think it’s worked out really well,” Mendenhall said when asked about the third bye. “I never thought I would say that, I never thought I would be on record for saying that, having only had one bye ever in my career per season. But this one is coming at a really good time.”

With multiple defensive starters missing — and leaving — Saturday’s game, Mendenhall said the idle week is just as important from a health perspective as it is to preparing for what’s ahead. He compared playing at Hawaii to playing on a Friday due to a travel schedule where you usually plan on having “one less day.

“And if you do that, you’re appropriately prepared,” he said. “And if you treat it like you’re still playing on Saturday, you’re usually short a day just because of the way the travel (has an) impact on you.”

Mendenhall added that UNM will return to practice on Thursday this week before giving players Saturday and Sunday off. Assistant coaches will also be on the road for most of the week recruiting before the Lobos host a “large” official visit this weekend.

“(Next) Monday will be the equivalent of a Tuesday, like (if) you’re playing on a Friday,” he said. “If you follow all that, then everything moves up. So we will have stolen two extra days in preparation for one game, like we were playing (the game) on a Friday, which we’re playing on Saturday, but we’re acting like (it’s) Friday.”

Weathering the storm

After beating Washington State, Mendenhall said he pitched players on the idea that UNM’s defense would have to “weather the storm” early before the game balanced out. On Monday, he compared that mentality to playing Chris Petersen-era Boise State when Mendenhall was the head coach at BYU.

“Their approach — especially if you played out at Boise — man, the first quarter, you had to weather (it),” Mendenhall said. “There was unique eye-control plays and concentration plays, and reverse plays and fake punts — every possible thing to get you defeated before the game reached the second quarter.

“Not to the same extent, but Washington State, in my evaluation, played similarly in terms of their execution, their quarterback, the scrambling, the downfield plays, the reverses, the double passes, anything that might happen. Knowing that’s what was going to happen, then when it does, the team isn’t surprised and it’s like ‘oh, this is what we said (it would be).’”

After allowing 257 yards and three touchdowns on Washington State’s first three drives, UNM forced five punts and gave up just two touchdowns on the Cougars’ final seven to come from behind and win.